All types of parasites in the human body have a detrimental effect on your health. They infect organs, feed on nutrients necessary for human life and release harmful toxic substances. Therefore, it is very important to get rid of them in a timely manner.
The human body is affected by several parasites, some live inside the body, others on its surface. They differ in size, in the way they enter the body, in the characteristics of their vital activity.
Which parasites live in the human body? how to get rid of them? What preventive measures are there? These issues will be discussed below.
Parasite Classification
Human parasites are very common, they are divided into groups:
- Endoparasitesorganisms that parasitize within a person are called. This group, in turn, is divided into protozoa (formed by a single cell) and helminths (worms). The simplest, parasites of the human body, are amoeba, lamblia, Trichomonas, toxoplasma. As for worms, here again there is a division into round worms (nematodes), flat and tapeworms.
- Ectoparasites- are organisms that parasitize on the surface of the human body - lice, ticks, fleas, insects. In addition to feeding on human blood, they cause great discomfort (stings, burns, skin wounds), carry very dangerous diseases: typhus, anthrax, trypanosomiasis and others.
Unicellular parasites:
- Giardia. . . Giardiasis infection is a fecal-oral mechanism. After the cysts (parasites not yet formed, covered by a protective membrane) are removed from the anus of a sick person, they spread to vegetables, fruits and other food products. Through poorly washed hands, stagnant water, insufficiently washed fruits and vegetables, the cysts enter the human oral cavity, from where they safely reach the intestines, where they again become adults and multiply again. The result is a vicious cycle that will continue until adequate treatment is provided and hygiene measures are followed. The symptoms of the disease are weakness, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Itching in the anus, skin rashes, bronchial asthma can occur. The pathology is characterized by weight loss, anemia and weakened immune system. Treatment is done with antiprotozoal drugs. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor.
- Toxoplasma. . . Infection with these protozoa occurs through contact with infected pets. In this case, the person is an intermediate host, since the parasite's sexual development cycle occurs in the animal's body. The disease is manifested by prolonged increase in temperature to subfebrile levels, general signs of intoxication, the patient has enlarged lymph nodes, pain in the joints and muscles. In addition, the functions of the gastrointestinal and visual tracts are impaired, the central nervous system may suffer, there are signs of heart disease and the endocrine system. Complex treatment is prescribed - antibiotics from the group of tetracyclines and sulfonamides.
- Trichomonas. . . Trichomonas is sexually transmitted, the risk of contact infection is minimal, but it still exists. Symptoms of the disease in women are itching, redness of Organs genitals, a burning sensation and foamy discharge. Men may find it difficult to urinate and have discharge. Treatment - anti-trichomonas drugs.
Pinworm is an intestinal parasite
The most famous internal parasites are the pinworms. They live in the intestines and cause a disease called enterobiasis. This type of parasite affects not only humans, but also monkeys. Risk group - children of preschool age, according to statistics, enterobiasis is diagnosed in half of children aged 2 to 10 years.
The worms are transmitted from person to person, you can be infected through any object that a sick person used, or through a handshake. The main condition for the transfer of moth eggs is not to wash your hands after contact, especially before eating. Worms, or rather, their eggs, can be transported by flies and cockroaches.
Pinworms can only live in the intestines, they are especially comfortable in the thin section, in the colon and cecum. For mating, the parasites select the ileum, from where the female crawls through the anus and lays eggs in it. Symptoms of worms in the body are itchy anus, allergies, fatigue, anemia, abdominal pain, tiredness.
For the treatment of enterobiasis, anthelmintics are prescribed. Pinworm prevention is based on hand hygiene. They must be washed after visiting any public place.
Roundworms - roundworms
The length of an adult can reach 40 cm. Roundworms live in the human intestine, their eggs hatch naturally, then continue their development in the soil, where they remain until they enter the human body again. Dirty hands and dirty vegetables and fruits are forms of contagion of worms. Roundworm eggs are covered by a shell that does not dissolve in the human stomach and allows the roundworms to survive and reach the intestines, where mature individuals thrive.
Ascariasis can be asymptomatic for a long time. Then the symptoms appear, which depend on the location and stage of development of the parasite. In the first migratory phase of ascariasis, the patient worries about fever, cough with sputum, skin rashes, migraines, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen may appear. In the late phase, when the parasite already enters the intestines, disturbances in the stools are observed (dysentery, symptoms similar to those of cholera, signs of typhoid fever may occur). There are painful sensations in the abdomen, a marked loss of weight and fatigue.
Great tapeworm
Infection with this parasite occurs in fish. This is the intermediate host of the worm. It is not necessary to eat for the infection, sometimes contact with infected fish is enough. That is why it is so important to handle your hands, the knife, the board very carefully after cutting the fish.
From the sick to the healthy, neither the worms nor their larvae are transmitted. Symptoms of infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, increased or decreased appetite, dyspeptic disorders. The first signs of the disease may appear a month or two after infection. As a result of the prolonged presence of the parasite in the human body, pale skin, headache, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, weakness and anemia occur. The treatment aims to kill the worm. For this, anthelmintics are used.
Bovine tapeworm
The bovine tapeworm can grow up to 12 m in length and is a hermaphrodite that can produce more than 100, 000 eggs, which are excreted in excrement. Eggs fall to the ground, then to plants, these plants are eaten by cattle. In an animal's body, the eggs turn into larvae, which are located in the muscles. If a person eats contaminated meat, the larvae enter the intestine. Larvae are not transmitted from person to person.
Adult worms have a head with four suckers, a neck and a body made up of segments. The number of segments is constantly growing, mature segments can separate from the worm and crawl out of the human intestine.
The symptoms of the disease are nausea, vomiting, dyspeptic disorders, increased salivation, dizziness, weakness, nervousness, fatigue, abdominal pain of uncertain location, allergies, fluctuations in appetite.
For the removal of bovine tapeworm from the body, there is a scheme that consists of 3 stages: preparatory (cleaning the body), treatment with antiparasitic drugs, recovery (diet, herbal medicine).
Swine tapeworm
A person can be infected with pig tapeworm through dirty hands, undercooked meat, dirty water, an infected person can excrete segments and larvae of a tapeworm into the environment with vomit and feces.
The worm can live in the human body for up to 15-17 years, adheres to the intestinal mucosa and its larvae can spread throughout the body with blood flow and attach to any organ. It is especially dangerous if the larva enters the brain.
The pig is the intermediate host; people who have frequent contact with raw meat are at the greatest risk of contracting the parasite. The pork chain can be infected both by contact and by eating meat treated with insufficient heat. In order for all larvae of the pork tapeworm to be destroyed in the meat, the meat must be cooked for a long time or frozen for 2 to 3 weeks.
Swine tapeworm can affect the small intestine, liver, brain, visual organs, muscles, etc. If the tapeworm affects vital organs, the person may suffer paralysis or even death.
Symptoms of pork tapeworm: the occurrence of allergic reactions, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, headache, weight loss, itchy anus. The worm infects the intestinal mucosa, so the symptoms are very similar to those of enteritis.
Treatment consists of taking medications that have a paralyzing effect on the worm, which prevents it from remaining in the intestinal walls and outlets. But at the same time, it emits a lot of toxic substances, which can cause anaphylactic shock in a person. Therefore, treatment should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
Parasites in the mouth
Parasites in the human mouth can most often be represented by the following types:
- trichomonas;
- oral amoeba;
- Diptera larvae (oral myiasis).
The clinical picture may be as follows:
- allergies;
- weakness, weight loss;
- foul odor from the mouth;
- a feeling of agitation in the larynx;
- itch and sweat;
- nausea, loss of strength.
The worms that live in the mouth can destroy the teeth, create purulent deposits on the mucous membrane and on the tongue. The treatment is prescribed only by a doctor who takes into account the existing symptoms, as well as the types of parasites. A prerequisite for treatment is the examination of all persons in contact with the patient.
in short
Above, not all were considered, even the most common parasites that can live within the human body. It is important to understand the great danger of this neighborhood: worms in a person can cause very serious consequences and, ultimately, cause the death of its owner. Therefore, it is very important to diagnose the parasites in a timely manner and get rid of them. As for preventive measures, they consist mainly of hygiene and high-quality roasting of the meat consumed.